Starz plans 'Black Sails' preview screening at SDCC

Pirates are raiding the upcoming San Diego Comic Con International in July.

Starz has announced it will screen the first episode of its high-seas drama "Black Sails" at a Thursday night event on July 18. "Special guests" from the series will be on hand, but Starz hasn't yet revealed who will be there or the exact time and place of the screening.

Just don't forget to pack the eye patch and poofy-sleeved open shirt, OK? Starz might have another surprise for fans and those two items could come in handy. SDCC is July 18-21 in San Diego.

"Black Sails" follows the adventures of Captain Flint (Toby Stephens) and his men 20 years prior to Robert Louis Stevenson's classic novel "Treasure Island." Flint, the most brilliant and most feared pirate captain of his day, takes on a fast-talking young addition to his crew who goes by the name John Silver (Luke Arnold). Threatened with extinction on all sides, they fight for the survival of New Providence Island, the most notorious criminal haven of its day--a debauched paradise teeming with pirates, prostitutes, thieves and fortune seekers, a place defined by both its enlightened ideals and its stunning brutality.

The series also stars Zach McGowan ("Shameless") as rival Captain Charles Vane; Toby Schmitz as Rackham, Vane's right hand; Hannah New as Eleanor Guthrie, a determined young woman who runs the smuggling operation on New Providence; Jessica Parker Kennedy as Max, a tortured young prostitute who sees the dark side of New Providence; Clara Paget as the beautiful but cold-blooded Anne Bonny and Tom Hopper ("Merlin") as Billy Bones, boatswain of Flint's ship.

"Black Sails" was created by showrunner and executive producer Jonathan Steinberg (creator "Jericho," "Human Target") and co-executive producer Robert Levine ("Touch"). The series is executive produced by Michael Bay and his Platinum Dunes partners Brad Fuller and Andrew Form, producers on "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" (2003) and "Nightmare on Elm Street" (2009).The series, from executive producer Michael Bay, will debut with an eight-episode season in January 2014.

And just like that, there’s only one day left of Lolla. Here’s what stood out to us from day 2. Best: The Tallest Man on Earth: Maybe it was just a right-mood, right-set situation, but boy this was the perfect mid-day act to take a breather, sit in the sun, and just chill and listen to and enjoy....

One day down! Here’s the best and worst we saw at Lolla on Friday, plus a few superlatives from day 1. Best: Anyone who knows me knows I was bound to pick Paul McCartney as my favorite act of the day. The Beatle came out and gave it his all with more than two hours of hits, tributes and jokes about...

What can you really say about Sir Paul McCartney, the former Beatle, pop music pioneer, worldwide cultural icon, and all-around great guy, that hasn't already been said? I mean, seriously. With the Beatles changing music for the better, becoming a pop culture institution and being "more popular...

Chicago's ban on plastic bags starts to take effect at many big stores Saturday, but an alderman who helped craft the law already is talking about changing it in order to thwart a few large retail chains that he says are trying to skirt the new rules.